Chapter Four:

"Hey, Shadow, get up!" Joey's voice dragged Yami to consciousness as the blond practically bounced into the room, clearly fresh from a shower since he was wearing only a towel and his hair hung damp against his shoulders.

Yami hand-washed his face and blinked sleepily up at him. "What is the matter, Joey?"

"Matter? It's Thursday! We're going to see Yug'! So hurry up and get your shower, already."

Yami sat up while Joey left the room in the same energetic manner he had entering it. He climbed out of bed and gathered some clean clothes to take with him into the bathroom to change into after his shower, realizing that Joey was quite right: they were going to see Yugi again after so long. A mix of emotions ran through him at that thought, first and foremost anticipation. He had missed his hikari so deeply, the mind-link they continued to share unsatisfying with Yugi's current condition. He was also worried, concerned about how Yugi would act, how well he had really recovered, what he would look like. And he also felt dread at finally telling his aibou all about the new life he and Joey had. Though he knew he had nothing to be ashamed about, Yugi's possible reaction to the news weighed on his mind.

Joey didn't seem to share the same concerns he did, which wasn't surprising. He probably worried about how well Yugi was progressing just like Yami did, but the possibility of Yugi being different from the friend they had known didn't seem to cross his mind and Yami didn't have the heart to bring it up. They got breakfast on the go and the entire trip up to the center was spent with Joey chattering eagerly about the upcoming visit and Yami half-listening and attempting to tell himself he was being too anxious.

The center was a large, modern building with a pleasant facade and front garden meant to pacify visitors. It was an unassuming building, with only a simple sign out front and a main lobby that boasted of pastoral prints, soft leather seats, and fake plants.

"Ah, good afternoon, Mr. Moto," the receptionist greeted as he and Joey signed into the visitor's register. Yami had adopted Yugi's surname as his own some time ago, after gaining his own body. "Mr. Wheeler. Yugi has been waiting for your arrival all morning."

She was a pleasant-looking middle-aged woman with a demeanor that relaxed a person. She smiled as she came around the desk, holding a clipboard in her hand. As she led them to Yugi's room, she talked continuously.

"He's doing much better. His tests are coming back with optimistic results and he's healed nicely. Dr. Ashford thinks he'll be able to discharge him as early as next month and he'd like to talk to later about it, after you've had a chance to get reacquainted. Ah, here we are."

She reached up and knocked on the slightly-open door, peering into the room. "Yugi, dear, Yami and Joey are here to see you."

She stepped back and allowed them inside, turning and heading back down the hall. Yami entered the room with Joey on his heels, taking in his aibou.

Yugi lay propped up on pillows on his bed, the covers drawn up to his waist. His violet eyes gleamed as he saw them and a wide smile spread across his face. He looked almost like always.

But he wasn't. Yami's eyes could easily see the scar on Yugi's left cheek, three inches long and slightly curved, running towards his temple from the corner of his mouth. Another scar was visible beneath the neckline of his shirt, running along his shoulder and disappearing beneath the material. His face was pale and his spiky hair had lost much of its luster and he looked so painfully thin that Yami's chest ached at seeing him. Nevertheless, he forced a smile onto his face and walked up, sitting down on the edge of the bed at Yugi's side.

"Aibou, how are you?"

Yugi leaned forward and Yami met his hug, carefully controlling his strength. Yugi felt like bones in his arms and he wondered how the nurse could have dared say he was healed? Yugi pulled away and hugged Joey as well, who was sitting on the other side of his bed and seemed to understand the need to be gentle, since he didn't embrace Yugi with his usual force or dig his knuckles into his hair. His brightness had evaporated quickly and he was somber.

"I feel a lot better, Yami," Yugi said. His voice was hoarse, but strong and cheery. "How are you guys?"

"Great, Yug'," Joey said, flashing a smile. "Yami and I are doing fine, it's you we were worried about. I wish we could have come and seen ya sooner."

"So do I, but Dr. Ashford wouldn't allow it. But he did say that I could probably come home next month." Yugi looked at Yami as if in need of confirmation or approval.

Yami reached out and lifted up one of Yugi's hands, feeling how thin and cold his fingers seemed. "Of course, Aibou. If you're ready, nothing would make us happier than to have you home again."

Yugi smiled again, even more vibrantly than he had previously. "Good. I don't want to be here anymore."

The other two were silent. There wasn't much to be said. Yugi had spent the past eleven months here because he'd had to. He'd had a very long and difficult road to recovery and Yami knew it wasn't over yet, even after all of this time. Still, seeing him had relieved much of Yami's anxiety. Yugi still looked ill and weak, but he was clearly mentally healthy and, if not happy, at least positive.

"Let me see this, Yug'," Joey said, reaching out to take Yugi's chin in his fingers and gently turn his head. His eyes studied the scar on Yugi's face. "Hey, that's not that bad. Look at that, you take a beating and you're still prettier than me."

Yugi laughed, the sound good in Yami's ears. Joey's joking might have seemed inappropriate to someone else, but Yugi clearly had improved enough to be able to find at least fleeting humor in the situation. The fingers of Yugi's other hand reached up and lightly touched the scar.

"It isn't that bad?"

//No, Aibou,// Yami said firmly, taking the chance and opening their link again. He hadn't in the all time Yugi had been here, except in one instance that had been disastrous. //You look as you have ever done.//

/Not quite./ But Yugi said it simply and without either depression or rancor and didn't seem upset that Yami had connected with his mind again. His hand dropped back to the bed and the other squeezed Yami's fingers. /I've missed you so much./

//As I've missed you. Having you home again will be wonderful.//

"Excuse me."

They glanced up. A fairly young man was peering into the room, dressed in white doctor's clothes and holding a clipboard, a stethoscope around his neck. He was Dr. Ashford, as Yami remembered. The man smiled.

"If I'm not interrupting, I'd like to speak to you."

"You go," Joey said. "I'm gonna stay with Yug'."

Yami knew he didn't want to leave Yugi alone again and he stood, letting go of Yugi's hand. Carefully closing their link, he followed the doctor out into the hallway. Dr. Ashford led him a short distance away, stopping before a window that looked out onto the back of the property, showing a nice view of tree-covered hills whose leaves were beginning to turn.

"Hello, Dr. Ashford," Yami said. "Thank you again for all you've done for Yugi."

"Of course. Mr. Moto--"

"Yami, please."

"Yami. I wanted to talk to you in private because I have some good news and some bad news and I didn't want to upset Yugi."

Yami nodded, trying to keep himself from dreading what he had to say. "Yes?"

"First the good news. Yugi has recovered very well from what he'd endured. As I explained to you the last time we talked, it wasn't only physical treatment he was receiving here at Shintaka."

Yami nodded again. He knew what Dr. Ashford was referring to. After what had happened, the doctor had been concerned with Yugi's state of mind and though Yami knew his hikari's strength and believed in his recovery, he'd had his own uneasiness and had agreed to psychiatric counseling for Yugi along with everything else. It had proven necessary, and he was relieved to hear that it had gone well. Yugi had seemed much more like himself than the last time Yami had seen him, which had been a long time ago, as the doctor had insisted that it would be best for Yugi to sever ties until he'd completed his counseling. It had been the hardest thing Yami had ever had to do, but he had, talking to Yugi only a couple of times over the phone since.

The doctor went on, glancing down once at the clipboard he was holding in his hand. Yami knew it was Yugi's medical chart.

"Well, I'm happy to tell you that he seems to be completely in acceptance with what happened. I see no cause for concern about Post Traumatic Stress or manic depression. I don't even see the need to prescribe any antidepressants, however I will give you a prescription to take with you if you think Yugi does need them along the road. I'll also give you the name, phone, and address of a psychiatrist friend of mine who would be more than happy to help if you think Yugi needs it."

He reached into his pocket and withdrew a card, turning it over to write the information down. He then filled out a small form on his clipboard and tore off the top sheet, handing both over. Yami accepted them and put them in his pocket, though he hoped he'd never have need to use either.

"Don't hesitate to call either Dr. Wright or myself for anything. I'd like to keep Yugi here at least a little longer to run a few more tests, but if everything remains as it is now, I think I can send him home as early as the sixteenth. Is that good?"

Yami nodded eagerly. "Of course. Any time is fine, we'll be here to bring Yugi home."

"Good. Now, for Yugi's physical recovery. As you can see, his mental faculties are the same as they've ever been. We've run all our tests and can find not the slightest evidence of brain damage or memory loss or anything else of the sort. Yugi's body has healed and the only thing that remains is physical therapy to help him recover his strength. I'd like to assign a therapist to come over starting three times a week to help Yugi go through his exercises. However, if you'd prefer to do them yourself, we can teach either you or Mr. Wheeler or both to do them."

"I'll have to talk to Yugi about that."

"Of course. Now comes the bad news, or, at best, not happy news. As you know, Yugi sustained extensive nerve and spinal damage in the incident. He's on pain medication that he will have to take maybe for the rest of his life. He's gone through his surgeries and there remain a couple more scheduled for later in the year, but the pain in his back may not be fixable. And as I've already told you, he's--"

"Paralyzed," Yami finished quietly.

tbc…